


dance the night away

by asdf8975



Category: IZONE (Band), Produce 48 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 21:26:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17885492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asdf8975/pseuds/asdf8975
Summary: Before the start of Produce 48, Hitomi and Nako bond over "TT".A very loose following of Produce 48 and the friendship between Hitomi and Nako thanks to TWICE songs.





	dance the night away

**Author's Note:**

> the story follows the events of Produce 48 although it's rather loose because i honestly forgot a majority of the show.
> 
> while the primary focus is on hitomi and nako, there's very soft hints of hitomi/chaewon, hitomi/nayoung/nako, and nako/eunbi. 
> 
> (and subtle chaeyeon/sakura but when am i not slipping that quietly in)

Hitomi pinched the bridge of her nose with a heavy sigh. She doesn't remember the last time she felt this panicked and stressed. It was just shy of two days before the auditions of the survival show, Produce 48, began and she was going to try for one of the slots. Her, out of _how many_ AKB48 groups were going to try?

She even heard big names like Matsui Jurina, Miyawaki Sakura and even her captain, Takahashi Juri were going to participate in the auditions.

Just at the mention of those names, her chest tightened, and limbs froze in thought.

How was she supposed to compete against _that_?

She fell back, another depressed sigh pushed through. She had prepared some Korean pop songs to sing and dance and relentlessly practiced them this afternoon, but her thoughts lead astray during her break. She had no problems singing and dancing, she constantly trained and practiced in that aspect, but the thought of having to _talk_ about herself and _why_ she wanted to join Produce 48 somewhat alluded her.

Why did she want to join this program?

For _pride_? For _fame_? For _recognition_?  Or just simply because she was good at dancing?

She groaned, her thoughts jumbled and no clear answer in mind.

She just had to keep going and keep on believing in herself and doing her best.

Hitomi groped for her phone that she flung away earlier and noticed the time—ah it was getting late and her scheduled time was nearly up. She got to her feet quickly, gathered her things and prepared to leave.

 

* * *

 

Hitomi felt her feet drag as she slowly made her way to the exit. The practice facility bustled with activity, muffled voices echoed throughout the corridors and hallways of other members who were probably trying for Produce 48 as well.

Finished and satisfied with how her dance and singing preparation went, she knew she could leave to work on what she wanted to say. It didn't help that she put it off for so long because of her constant blanks when she attempted to work on it.

The thought of maybe texting or calling another member appeared a couple of times, but she knew deep inside why she never made the first move. Hitomi was _competitive_ , as humble as she was, she didn't want to lose. She wanted one of those 96 spots.

She rounded a corner and made her way to the exit when a muffled catchy tune caught her ears. She immediately recognized the catchy chorus and her hands even made the famous "TT" shape as she passed a half-opened door. She stopped to peer inside, perhaps it was someone she knew, and she could seek advice from them about the audition in two days. She blinked in surprised, baffled at the sight of a short girl with long black hair who was more concentrated on the dance mirror in front of her.

It was HKT48's Yabuki Nako.

She knew the name, Yabuki Nako.

Honestly, it wasn't hard to know about a lot of the big names that came from the HKT48 group.  Her and Nako have crossed a few times at events and variety shows and she even got to perform her specialty for the NakoMiku duo, but to come across her like this was a first.  She heard the HKT48 girls were coming later, so why was Nako here early?

Her eyes studied the shorter girl, curious on what formation she used and how she handled the song that she prepared as well. Hitomi started to take considerations for her own performance—something about Nako’s dancing was refreshing to watch and she couldn’t keep her eyes off her.

"Excuse me...?"

Hitomi let out a quick squeak when she came into eye contact with the girl she had been silently watching. She must have noticed Hitomi standing around the door. "I-I-I'm sorry!" She quickly said and bowed to her.

"I didn't mean to watch."

"Ah, no, no, it's okay." There was a quick response as the catchy medley to TWICE's "TT" stopped and Nako left her position to go up to Hitomi. "Did you need the room? I thought I could squeeze in some more practice time."

Hitomi shook her head as she straightened her back. "No, I just happened to be passing by. I'll be on my way—"

"Wait." She paused in her footsteps just as she was going to make a break for it and turned back to Nako. She tilted her head in confusion as Nako's eyes lit up. "You're Honda Hitomi! The acrobatics girl! Miku and I sometimes talk about your performance from then!"

At the recognition, Hitomi's puffy cheeks heated up and turned a light pink. Her chest swelled with pride and her heart pumped with happiness—Yabuki Nako and Tanaka Miku _remembered_ her. She gave a quiet, shy thanks and suddenly was ushered into the room to continue the conversation. The door shut behind her and she stood off to the side as Nako took a moment to grab a drink and wipe her sweat. She shuffled back and forth, her eyes wondered around the small practice room as Nako just went about her break routine.

"Are you by any chance participating in the Produce 48 auditions?"

Hitomi finally asked, it was virtually the only thing that she was thinking about nowadays, and it would be more of a surprise if Nako wasn't participating. Nako met her gaze with a polite smile,

"Yes, I came by Tokyo early to finish my preparations but..." the eyes drifted away from Hitomi's, and naturally Hitomi followed them to the mirrors in the room. She blinked in surprise when there was a slight frown and Nako's eyes lowered.

"I've been a fan of TWICE for a while but now that I've been studying the finer details of the routine, I realized my skill isn't quite there. Even though..."

There was frustration laced in Nako's tone and the petite frame swung a little, hands twirled and twisted to a silent rhythm. Hitomi's kept her observant eyes on Nako and softened as Nako caught her gaze and smiled weakly at her. "I still like singing and dancing, so I wanted to seize the opportunity to follow my passion."

Hitomi grew silent as the words echoed in her mind. The simple reason reminded her all the encouragements she gained growing up, both as just a normal girl who loves dancing and an idol in AKB48.

Follow your passion, follow your heart, and always do your best.

Nako's gaze is too fixated on herself as she started to practice her routine once again that allowed Hitomi to compose herself. Once she realized their conversation had comfortably ended, she was about to bid her farewell, until her eyes caught something.

"Ah, that's not quite right."

Hitomi slipped her shoes off and placed her bags to the side before she hopped to a rather surprised Nako. "You're doing TWICE-san's "TT" right? Your legs need to be a bit more apart and like this..." She copied Nako's position, but her legs moved accordingly, matching the same pose as the TWICE members in their music video. She spotted the surprised look turning into pure delight.

"You're also preparing TWICE songs?"

"Ah... Just a couple… I’ve also looked at Kara too…”

A grin turned at the corner of Nako's lips as she fell out of position and went to the music player. "Do you mind if we practiced together? I could use the help." Even though she was smiling, Hitomi could see that Nako's eyes had a certain puppy-dog look. She heard and even witnessed this a few times on variety shows where Nako would do the same look to their seniors to get what she wanted.

Unfortunately, those eyes caught Hitomi too and she smiled and nodded.

Besides, dancing was her specialty and she could use the refresher.

 

* * *

 

The last few months felt like a roller coaster.

From the highs of passing the audition and preparing to leave for Korea, to the lows of getting sick, being stuck in situations because of language barriers, and competing against so many people who are better than her... Hitomi could only describe it like a roller coaster.

But things worked out for her when she remembered her new pink shirt with the grade "A" that hung in the closet of her new dorm. Shortly after the recording was finished for their re-evaluations and a Nekkoya performance, those who changed class were asked to move. So now, Hitomi stayed with the girls in A class.

She never could imagine being in the same class as Miyawaki Sakura, Takahashi Juri, and Yabuki Nako... It seemed like a dream for a lower-ranking member in AKB48.

She couldn't let herself become complacent and with whatever free time she had in Korea, she holed herself up in a small practice room in the corner of their facility to practice her form.

Her eyes were peeled to the iPad in front of her as she observed her movements carefully before she switched to the original routine to compare.

_The movements here are more precise, I should place more emphasis on my hips... But the feet are in the correct position now…_

As she critiqued herself, her hands wriggled and moved around unconsciously with the song. She's too preoccupied to think twice about the muffled voices outside and a knock at the door. She even missed the ' _excuse my intrusion_ ' as the door opened silently.

"Honda-san! There you are."

That's when she noticed a certain petite girl at the entrance who waved to her.

The HKT girls must be back from Japan.

"Yabuki-san! I'm sorry I was just reviewing this choreography." She paused the video on the iPad and stood up to stretch. She watched Nako shake her head as she curiously peered at her screen. A wry grin turned, "You're always practicing, huh? I really respect that."

Hitomi flushed at the compliment and waved her hand in objection. "I have a long way to go, especially now that I'm in Class A too. Did you just get back?"  She hastily changed the topic, not wanting to dwell too much on herself.

Nako didn't seem to mind and went with the flow, "We ran into some of the girls from Class A and they're heading out for dinner, as some "celebratory we passed". We were wondering if you wanted to join us?" She gestured to the slight jarred door and with a squint, Hitomi recognized a tall girl--Ahn Yujin?--her senior, Miyawaki Sakura, and that girl who was always laughing--Lee Chaeyeon...?  waiting patiently for Nako.

She turned her attention back to Nako, an apologetic smile being her response. "I'm sorry." She bowed politely, "I'm going to keep practicing for now. I want to make sure that I have good form for the next event."

She couldn't meet Nako's eyes, she felt guilty for turning down a kind invitation.

There's a small pat and a gentle squeeze, Hitomi's head snapped up in surprise and she caught an understanding smile.

"I'll let them know, don't worry about it. Make sure you take a break." Nako patted her shoulder one last time before she rejoined the girls who waited outside.

Hitomi felt guilt turn in her stomach once more but when she saw the smiles and the mix of " _fighting_ " and " _do your best_ " from the other girls outside, she waved bashfully and continued her practice.

 

* * *

 

_How long are things gonna be so casual between us?_

Hitomi stirred a little from her dark world. She must have dozed off when she took a break to check the choreography for TWICE's _Signal_. Her eyes opened slowly, the light filled her vision bit by bit but her other senses caught something that wasn't there before.

_To me, you’re not just some friend of mine_

A soft yet clear voice, not blended or tuned to the melody, stood out and her nose caught a waft of something that smelled like... Ramen?

_Signal OK? Signal OK? Chiri, Chiri..._

She yawned a little, stretching out her limbs as her world cleared up. She glanced wearily at the newcomer in her room, and blinked. "Yabuki-san?"

"Sorry, did I wake you? I noticed you didn't come back yet."

Nako smiled at her, setting a steaming cup of ramen next to her and sat down, still idly humming to the song. She shook her head, stifling the yawn, "It was just a short nap." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. She picked up the cup of ramen shortly after. "Hakata ramen from Fukuoka?"

"Yup. The Korean trainees were fighting over them, but I snuck one out for you. You're probably hungry."

At the mention of food, Hitomi's stomach rumbled and they shared a laugh. Nako gestured for her to eat and with a soft " _itadakimasu_ ", she slurped the noodles.  For cup noodles, the broth was surprisingly rich and full of flavour.  The noodles and minimal toppings went well with it.  She watched Nako play with the iPad, her eyes trained on the Signal choreography.

The HKT48 idol’s hands playfully flicked back and forth as she happily chanted “ _chiri, chiri, chiri, chiri_ ” and Hitomi just watched in silent amusement.

“Do you like dancing to TWICE songs?” Nako asked as her hands continued to follow along with the dance video, she’s probably watched a handful of times by now.  Hitomi took a sip of the warm broth, letting out a soft, delighted sigh.  “Mm!  I think their songs are very upbeat and catchy.  They also have some amazing dancers…”

“Momo, right?” Nako’s tone slight raised with excitement.  She must really love TWICE.

“U-Um…” Hitomi’s voice wavered, honestly, she didn’t know the members that well but Nako didn’t seem to notice and continued to talk about TWICE.  She didn’t understand everything but listened quietly while enjoying the cup ramen.

Nako suddenly leapt to her feet as Hitomi finished the cup ramen.  “Let’s dance to TWICE songs again, even though we don’t have a lot of time when we’re here, it releases a lot of stress.”

“I would like that, Yabuki-san.”

Hitomi placed the cup ramen down, clapping her hands together and said a silent “ _gochisousama_ ”.  She noticed Nako knelt in front of her, smiling warmly. 

“Nako.”

“Y-Yabuki-san?”

“Nako is fine, Honda-san.  I know I’m your senior in AKB48, but we’re equals here.”

Nako outstretched her hand to Hitomi and continued to smile at her.  Hitomi hesitated for a moment, manners were always important to her, especially to her seniors.  Something in Nako’s eyes and the way she smiled at her said _it was okay_ and she shyly took her hand.

“Then please call me Hii-chan, Nako-chan.”

“Okay!  I look forward to dancing with you again, Hii-chan.”

 

* * *

 

Honda Hitomi being in the practice room located in the corner of their practice facilities became a norm among most of the Produce 48 trainees. If she wasn't practicing with her group or sleeping or eating, Hitomi would always be in this practice room.

And somehow, this particular practice room became something akin to a dance consultation office. The word spread that Hitomi was a fantastic dance teacher (she figured it must have been her _Very, Very, Very_ team mates that told others) and both Korean and Japanese trainees often consulted her about different choreographies.

Honestly, she was very flattered, at the same time felt a bit pressured to make sure she kept up with her own training. She knew she couldn't slack off.

Strangely enough, the room also became a "hide-out" for a certain, Yabuki Nako.

Around the facility, Hitomi often saw Nako with someone or a group. Nako became famous among all the trainees for being the only trainee in their year to jump from F to A class. She also became a favorite among the trainees because of her cute looks and her relatively outgoing and talkative personality (despite her limited Korean). Even then—Nako explained it to her one day—that she sometimes wanted to get away, just for a moment, to sit with her work and thoughts. That's how she started to use Hitomi's practice room as a "hide-out".

Of course, Hitomi didn't mind if Nako was fine with the sound of footsteps to a steady beat and the occasional trainee that came for help.

Hitomi watched herself carefully in the mirror, the soft upbeat melody of I.O.I's " _Very, Very, Very_ " played around her as she watched her expressions and movements. She was sure she had all the movements engraved into her body and moved on to watching her expressions. She was experienced in this field already compared to the Korean trainees but wanted to make sure her expressions fit the different song parts.

There's a heavy sigh above the voices of the I.O.I members and Hitomi laughed quietly, "That's the fifth one in the past hour, Nako-chan."

At the center by the wall was "Camp Nako", or rather, the space that Nako used when she used Hitomi's practice room. "Camp Nako" was currently occupied by Nako, herself, who seemingly stared at her iPad with Gfriend's _Love Whisper_ on an endless loop.

Nako simply grumbled, belting out the sweet, carefree lyrics about love to get rid of her frustration. The other Japanese trainee laughed again.

She knew the reason why Nako was so annoyed.

"If Nayoung-chan heard that, she would definitely send you to Soyou-sensei to get your vocals checked again."

When Hitomi turned around she raised a brow, _Love Whisper_ came to a halt as Nako stretched out her small limbs and drank some water. Hitomi joined her with her own bottle of water.

"Do you think Moe-san will trade with me?"

Nako was still sulking over not getting TWICE's " _Ooh, aah_ ".

"I don't think so. Who was in her group again? You could ask one of them."

They both knew that was against the rules, but it was better to keep the atmosphere light and humorous, especially in such a heated competition. Hitomi hummed, who was in Goto Moe's group again? She tapped her cheek while thinking,

"Haeun-san, the girl who can hit high notes very well, the girl from that group that was in a rivalry with Chaeyeon's group,..."

Hitomi bobbed her head, other than Haeun because they were in the same class, she honestly couldn't recall the other members except for Goto Moe. The girl related to Chaeyeon felt familiar but there was so many trainees that she had a hard time remembering who was who.

Surprisingly Nako knew quite a bit. She had a feeling Nako really watched the two groups who got her precious TWICE song.

"I'm sure you'll get a chance to perform a Twice song one day, Nako-chan."

Hitomi reassured when she refocused her attention on the HKT48 idol. The latter didn't look as convinced but rubbed her head, "I really should concentrate on this song..." She pulled the song back up on her iPad and held the song lyrics in her hand.

Now that Nako finally snapped out of her mood, Hitomi leapt to her feet to resume her own practice. She went back to her precious routine, meticulously watching every movement and expression.

Until Nako leaned in from behind her, a cattish smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"Hii-chan, you know the dance to " _ooh-aah_ " right?"

A giggle escaped the Japanese acrobatics’ lips. Nako really loves TWICE.

"Maybe."

Nako caught Hitomi watching the MV the other day shortly after the start of the group battle evaluations. So, she very well knew the answer but Hitomi teased her anyway by pretending.

Nako was stubborn though and she puffed out her cheeks and gave Hitomi the "stare". Hitomi raised her hand and poked the puffed cheeks.

"I thought we were equals? When did I become your senior?" She grinned playfully and Nako pouted. Hitomi has a kind heart though and gently patted Nako's head and reached for her iPad playing " _Very, Very, Very_ ".

"Just once! If Yujin or Yena catch me dancing to another song they won't let me hear the end of it."

 

* * *

 

Days, weeks, and perhaps months passed by in a blink of an eye.

Hitomi has gone through two eliminations, battling against other trainees and slowly climbed the Produce 48 rankings thanks to everyone who voted for her.  Through these last few months, she has met so many new people, both Japanese and Korean.  She also had to say farewell to many of her new and old friends.

But, this one, was the hardest.

"Okay, this should be the last one."

Hitomi watched with teary-stained eyes and light rosy cheeks as Nayoung finished packing her luggage. The girls who did not make the top twenty were scheduled to leave the dorm that day, so it was time for the concept groups to say goodbye to some of their team mates. Nayoung was a close friend to Hitomi, despite their cultural differences and language barrier. She often hung out with her and Nako and Hitomi even became Nayoung's one-pick (much to Nako's chagrin). The day that her and Nayoung were put in " _Rollin' Rollin'_ " together was one of the many memorable days for Hitomi.

To say goodbye like this was completely unfair.

The curly pony-tailed hair nearly whacked Hitomi when Nayoung heaved her luggage up. Nayoung turned at the small squeak and laughed at the surprised and annoyed expression left on Hitomi's face. "It wasn't my fault you're too close." She said cheekily and engulfed Hitomi in a tight bear-like hug to apologize. Hitomi could never stay mad too long, especially in such a warm, motherly-like hug.

She fought the urge to cry again.

"I'll miss you."

Hitomi managed to say in broken Korean against Nayoung's shoulder. There's a small "me too" muttered against her ear that makes her shudder as all sorts of feelings fought and turned in her stomach.

She can't cry again, she had to be strong.

Nayoung pulled away first, her eyes glimmered but refused to let the tears fall. She tapped Hitomi's cheeks playfully, "Don't forget you have all the hopes and dreams in here."

Hitomi's lips quivered, "Nayoung-chan..."

Nayoung continued to grin as she wrapped Hitomi in one last hug. "You got this, you're going to debut."

Even if she didn't understand every single word, Hitomi just knew what it meant through her voice and tone. It filled her up with encouragement to do her best. She couldn't send Nayoung off crying, so she nodded as they pulled away again and she poked her own puffed out cheeks with a shaky smile. "I won't forget."

Nayoung grinned and patted Hitomi's head one last time before she turned to Doah to see if she was ready to go. The rapper was too busy playing with Miru and Wonyoung so there was still some time. Nayoung faced Hitomi again, a more solemn and apologetic expression on her face.

"Hitomi... There's... one thing..." She started slowly and Hitomi listened carefully to each word.

"Watch over Nako."

At the mention of the other Japanese trainee, Hitomi blinked in surprise. The three of them were close, so of course Hitomi would be by Nako’s side...

"Nako... I think is not good." Nayoung patted her chest where her beating heart stilled. "I only knew Nako for a short time but Nako never cries, no matter what... But she cried."

Hitomi was silent, her brain rapidly going through everything she knew about the HKT48 idol.

The observation was perfect if she had to be honest. Yabuki Nako was a rock. A perfect idol who never showed her sadness, at least not in public with fans and cameras reeling. Her emotions broke once when she was asked about being promoted to an idol and senbatsu but it was only in the privacy of her home that she let out those emotions. Being an AKB48 idol, Hitomi understood both sides—Nako's emotions and Nayoung's concern.

Hitomi would do everything to help.

Feebly, she reached out and grasped the Banana Culture trainee's hand and squeezed it tightly. 

"I know. I will be by her side."

She deliberately said each word slowly to make sure it was clear and Nayoung wiped the tears that welled up in her eyes. She took the Japanese's hand with both of hers and squeezed it just as tight.

"You'll both debut together, I know it."

Brown eyes widened at the statement and left her speechless as Doah finally came over and told Nayoung they should go. The " _Rollin' Rollin'_ " team said goodbye one last time before the two members left the dorm.

That night when Hitomi's head hit her pillow, she realized that she was that much closer to debuting in the upcoming global girl group. When she stared at her hand, all she could imagine was Nayoung's last words to her, about debuting with Nako. It was a thought that never crossed her mind until now.

It fueled her already burning fire to debut even more and she made a silent promise to herself to continue to push until the very end so she could stand on the same steps as Nako and the 10 other girls.

 

* * *

 

Hitomi prepared her things for a quick night of practice when a surprise knock came from their door. Wonyoung and Miru were practicing Japanese and Korean at that moment when the Starship trainee bounded to her feet and answered the door.

"Oh, Yuri-unnie!"

Hitomi was so concentrated on packing her bag that the Korean conversation became background noise to her. She zipped up her bag as her name was called and she glanced up.

"Hitomi, do you know where Nako is?"

Out of habit, Hitomi replied in Korean. "No, I haven't seen her today."

She noticed at the door were the members from " _To Reach You_ " excluding Nako. She noticed the pretty girl--what was her name--Chaewon standing idly behind Yuri and adverted her eyes because she's still shy around her (they barely interacted anyway).

Miru chimed in from the side, "Maybe Sakura knows?"

Yuri shook her head, "We tried, and she said that maybe Hitomi knew."

All eyes were on Hitomi who poked her cheek in contemplation. She eventually bowed as a silently apology. The other girls understood and quickly said she didn't need to apologize.

"If you see her, let her know that we're with Eunbi-unnie. Apparently Unnie is trying to gather as many of the trainees to play some games." Chaewon extended the invitation to their group as well and Wonyoung's eyes lit up at the word "games". They left after they told them the details of the group meet up later.

Hitomi shifted her bag onto her shoulder and went to the door to leave.

"Hitomi, you're not going to go?"

She glanced back at Miru and smiled a little, shaking her head.

"There's something I still need to do, maybe later."

 

* * *

 

When Hitomi heard Nako went missing, she had a hunch where she was.

She stood outside the door of the last practice room in the small corridor. The door was cracked open and if you listened carefully, faint sniffling noises came from inside.

Unfortunately, that also answered Hitomi's hunch.

She softly knocked on the door and slipped into the dark room.

"Nako-chan?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper. She saw a pair of small, familiar sneakers by the door with the small crack of light from outside. There's a soft reply from further into the room.

"H-Hii-chan? Ah..." She heard shuffling from inside and hesitantly, Hitomi called out to Nako. "Should I turn on the light?"

"If you want."

Hitomi picked up on Nako's unwillingness and decided against opening the light. She's so familiar with the room that she _knew_ Nako was in “Camp Nako” anyway. She said a faint "just wait a minute" and left the room with her bag. She dug through it quickly and pulled out her notebook and a pen. She's quick with her hands, first writing in Japanese that the room was "occupied" but then after she paused—how could she word it in Korea?

She bit her lip, everything she knew now was things she picked up from the Korean trainees and the first handful of chapters from her Korean textbook... She settled with something simple and stuck it to the door as she entered the room.

**_Occupied!  
Do not enter!_ **

Hitomi slipped her outdoor shoes off and stepped carefully on the wooden floors of the training room. Her footsteps are rather silent as she shuffled her way to “Camp Nako”.

Her ears immediately picked up a shuffling and blowing sound. Nako cleaned herself up while Hitomi wrote her note on the door. She placed her bag against the wall and settled onto the wooden floor with a soft creak. Her shoulder grazed something—presumably Nako's shoulder as there was a surprised inhale.

Hitomi honestly didn't know what to say or do as they sat in silence with the occasional nose blowing and soft shuffles. She felt Nako weave back and forth next to her, sometimes their shoulder's touch and sometimes not.

"Apparently the others are meeting with Eunbi-san to play games. Your team mates were looking for you earlier, Yuri-san and um..."

Hitomi really wanted to pinch her cheeks, she really needed to remember that girl’s name… There's a soft chuckle beside her.

"Yuri and Chaewon? Really, Hii-chan, you still don't remember the name of the 'pretty girl' you noticed during group evaluations?"

At least Nako's tongue and cheek was still in tact.

Hitomi thanked herself for deciding against turning on the lights or else Nako would have laughed at her crimson cheeks. She elbowed the girl next to her and huffed quietly underneath her breath. "You've been around her more times than I have, give me a break." She grumbled and earned more giggles for her grumpy statement.

Hitomi smiled a little too, at least Nako laughed despite her sniffles and tears from earlier. Another silence blanketed the two Japanese trainees except it was more comfortable than the previous one.

Eventually Nako spoke up.

"You aren't joining them?"

There's a small pressure against her shoulder and a gentle touch against her hand. Hitomi doesn't resist, she grasped Nako's hand with her own gently to reassure she was there.

Her conversation with Nayoung a couple of days murmured at the back of her mind as she held Nako's hand. It was a promise she intended to keep.

"Mm. I wanted to check on you first and well... Practice." She giggled underneath her breath and hit her bag so Nako could hear the usual things she brought to practice. Nako doesn't say anything but squeezed Hitomi's hand in appreciation.

Hitomi isn't the type to push so she let's Nako settle against her and waited patiently until she was ready to speak.

"I... Just felt overwhelmed." Nako finally admitted. "I watched everyone I entered the competition with leave one by one. It was different when everyone from HKT was here... We were all representing and holding the pride of HKT48 together." She inhaled gently and exhaled slowly, holding back any tears that threatened to leave.

"Eventually it was just Saku-chan and I... And the pressure to uphold HKT was starting to become too much... but everyone around me supported me." Hitomi felt Nako quiver a little next to her and the Tochigi native rubbed circles onto her hand to comfort her. She started to slowly understand Nako's worries.

"Not just the other Japanese trainees but the Korean trainees too... But then..."

Nayoung was eliminated.

Hitomi knew how devastated Nako was when it happened. Especially that she just was on the edge of making it to the final round with the rest of them. Nayoung watched over Nako since the start of their upgrade to A class. She was one of the members Nako chose for her "cute avengers" team and she became one of Nako's strongest pillars of support throughout Produce.

Nothing else needed to be said between the two of them, just the silence and warmth was enough.

"... It's okay Nako-chan."

Hitomi whispered in the darkness of the practice room. She continued to soothingly rub circles against her soft skin. Nayoung's words fluttered in her mind. "I promised I would be by your side. So, let's debut together."

She immediately bit the bottom of her lip gently at the bold words. Hitomi wasn't one to get her hopes up high but this was something she (and nineteen other girls) desperately wanted. And if she couldn't voice it out loud then she knew she wasn't trying enough.

Nako stiffened up next to her and then suddenly laughed. There was some hiccups and a bit of sniffling, but she excused herself quietly and sat up to wipe her tears.

"Mm, we'll debut together."

A shy smile played on Hitomi's lips. She hoped that helped Nako come to terms with the last elimination and reminded her that they were one step closer to making it to the goal. She also remembered the bag by her side and dug around for her iPad while Nako cleaned herself up.

The light from the iPad blinded her for a moment and she let out a small squeak. It's only momentarily before she started to shuffle through the songs and hit play on the song she wanted to practice.

A soft ' _la la la la la la_ ' chant started to play as Hitomi placed the iPad down and hopped to her feet. She finally could make out Nako's small form with the minimal light they had, and she held a hand out to her.

Nako's head, eyes puffy and red but full of question, tilted a little. Hitomi grinned whimsically, hoping that the melody would remind Nako of how the two became close friends.

" _Let's dance the night away._ "

Nako grinned and took Hitomi's hand as the other Japanese trainee helped her to her feet.

There was no way she was going to say no to dancing to a TWICE song.

 

* * *

 

It's early in the morning and the only occupied room in the almost deserted dorms used for Produce 48 contestants was the one at the end of a certain corridor.

Just a few weeks before, TWICE released their new Japanese song, "BDZ" digitally but because Hitomi was occupied with the Produce 48 finals, she didn't have time to check the song until after everything was finished.

So, wanting to maximize the small time she had left at their facility, she diligently started to learn the choreography.

The upbeat, electronic pop song bounced against the walls as Hitomi's soft steps echoed against the wooden floors. Her eyes trained on the mirrors in front as she watched each movement with a keen eye. The song was quite catchy, and she found herself singing along the energetic voices of the TWICE girls.

Or rather, should she be calling them TWICE-sunbaenim now?

A silly grin outstretched her lips because she remembered she was now Honda Hitomi, a member of the global girl group, IZ*ONE. She made it as one of the three Japanese members and it swelled her chest with pride. The countless hours of practice (in this very room), the times of extreme anxiety, the numerous of sleepless nights paid off to hear her name being called and for her to ascend the steps with the other IZ*ONE members.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the door crack open and a rather loud whine.

"Hii-chan?! I thought we promised to always learn TWICE songs together..."

Hitomi nearly tripped over her feet and straightened herself out at the intruder at the door. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember making a promise with you, Nako-chan." There was an underlying teasing tone in her flat voice.

Nako grumbled and hurried into the room, shutting the door with a soft bang. She switched shoes quickly. "I thought you would wake me up."

Mischief played in the Tochigi native's eyes. "You looked quite comfy in Eunbi-san's arms."

She giggled when a hand slapped her shoulder. She caught the redness that grazed Nako's cheeks and the murmured "I swear the skinship rule was also for the Korean trainees." Hitomi continued to laugh and jogged to her iPad to start the song again.

Nako stretched in the meantime as Hitomi spent time setting the song up.

"Have you seen the dance routine for BDZ?"

"A few times. I know some parts by feeling."

Hitomi hummed and bobbed her head to the electropop melody. She watched a couple parts here and there before deciding where to begin.

"Is this part okay?"

"The beginning is fine, but after that is where I struggle."

Hitomi nodded, understanding what part needed to be practiced. She reversed the song a few seconds back and started to play it. She took her position next to Nako.

As they practiced and learned the routine for BDZ together, a wave of nostalgia washed over Hitomi. It was going to be the last time her and Nako would be learning and practicing TWICE songs together in this room. It wasn't sorrowful per say, they were going to be together for the next two and a half years as IZ*ONE, but just a bit... somber.

It was like leaving a part of you behind. Something that helped you create unforgettable experiences.

She couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic at that.

"I wonder if TWICE will be doing a come back around the same time as our debut."

Nako mused when they took a small water break. Her eyes fluttered a little, "We could be on the same stage as them..."

Hitomi snorted, "Nako-chan, is TWICE-san all you think about?"

"No! I think about other things."

"Like? Sashihara-san? Tanaka-san? Ice cream? _Eunbi--_ "

Hitomi burst out laughing and suddenly ran off as Nako chased her, her entire face including the tips of her ears a bright red. "Hii-chan, I swear if you finish that sentence—"

Their sudden game of cat and mouse came to a halt at a soft knock on the door and a " _please excuse us..._ " came from the opening. They both glanced over and greeted the new body.

"Saku-chan!"

"Sakura-san, good morning."

Hitomi bowed respectively to her senior and Nako waved casually.

Sakura greeted both with a smile. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, you came at a great time, Hii-chan just finished what she was saying." A pointed glare came in Hitomi's direction and she just grinned playfully.

Sakura glanced between the two of them in confusion, Nako normally didn't get this riled up (it's usually the other way around) but she didn't question it. The kid needed to take teasing sometimes too.

"I see... Anyways we were wondering if you wanted to join us for breakfast. The others are still sleeping but we noticed the two of you weren't in your beds."

This time Hitomi and Nako exchanged looks, _we?_

Their silent question was answered when a mop of messy black hair flopped on Sakura's shoulder from behind and an arm around her waist. Chaeyeon yawned, "Saku-chan insisted on getting up." she greeted in Japanese with a sleepy smile.

"Yah, you slept three times!" Sakura retorted in Korean and batted Chaeyeon's head with her own. Chaeyeon's contagious laughter rang throughout the room which made Nako and Hitomi laugh as well.

It wasn't even a week that their group formed, and they already got along so well.

"That sounds like a good idea." Nako started as she went to gather their things. Hitomi helped with a nod, "I'm hungry too."

"Okay, we'll wait for you kids outside." Chaeyeon stated, waving at the two of them as her and Sakura left the room.

Not wanting to keep the pair waiting, Hitomi and Nako quickly packed their things away. As Nako slipped on her shoes, Hitomi spared one glance back at the clean, empty room.

That melancholic feeling washed over again.

She really was going to miss this room.

"Hii-chan? Is something the matter?" Nako's voice was soft for once and Hitomi turned around and shook her head. "No, I just wanted to look at everything one last time before we left." There was a silent, mutual understanding as Nako nodded. She turned and left the room.

Hitomi glanced around again, thanking the empty space for everything before she followed Nako out.

The memories would continue, all she needed was an empty practice room and Nako.

...

And, she guessed, some TWICE songs.

 

* * *

 

_Epilogue_

 

"I'm home!" Chaeyeon's voice boomed through the open door as she set foot into her dorm, carrying two bags of groceries that was their dinner. She heard a " _welcome back_ " in Korean and smiled proudly. Hii-chan's pronunciation improved everyday.

Then the next voice made her snort as she heard a somewhat butchered version of the same phrase in Japanese. A frantic whisper came after and the " _welcome back_ " was repeated, a lot more slowly and with better pronunciation this time.

Chaeyeon slipped her shoes off and grabbed her slippers and moved into the kitchen. She peered at the table in the living room, one half was neat and tidy, finished books on one side and a bag full of empty wrappers from bread next to it. The other half was a mess, Japanese learning books opened and in three different places and various of chocolate mint flavoured snack wrappers in three other different places. Two girls sat at the table, side by side, diligently studying from some books.

She rolled her eyes, "Chaewonie, you better clean up after yourself. This isn't your dorm you know."

Chaewon groaned, "You don't need to tell me, Unnie."

"I'll make sure she cleans up, Unnie!" Hitomi giggled at the look of betrayal Chaewon shot her. She responded with a quiet " _sowwy, sowwy_ ", grinning the entire time.

Chaeyeon laughed when she heard that, "Thank you, Hii-chan." She set the groceries down and stepped back into the living room. "Studying?"

"Mm! Chaewon-unnie is studying Japanese and I'm working on improving my Korean."

Hitomi was clearly happy with her progress but when she asked Chaewon about her progress, it was the complete opposite. The red-head gave her the most horrified look, holding up a sheet full of messy katakana letters. _Save me_ Chaewon mumbled in Japanese and Chaeyeon laughed again.

A soft chime and vibration came from Hitomi's phone and she glanced over to see what the notification was. She blinked and opened it.

**Nako: hii-chan**  
**Nako: what are you doing  
** **Hii: Studying with Chaewon-unnie?**

She flushed a little, knowing Nako was going to tease her about being alone with Chaewon again. She glanced at the Korean next to her. Chaewon was distracted by Chaeyeon's teasing (in Japanese) to notice her gaze. Hitomi's phone buzzed again.

**Nako: ok this is an emergency.**  
**Hii: ???????**  
**Nako: come to the practice room  
** **Nako: we need a momo**

Hitomi nearly choked at that, what did _that_ even mean? She immediately thought of five different things that Nako wanted just with the single word. As if she read her mind, Nako sent another message.

**Nako: yujin fits jeongyeon better and yes or yes doesn't make sense without momo**  
**Nako: you can bring chaewon-unnie  
** **Nako: she can be sana**

Any other person reading this conversation would think Nako was crazy, but Hitomi knew exactly what she wanted. She was about to reply when a soft finger poked her cheek, her eyes shot up to meet Chaewon's. "Is Nako okay?"

Hitomi blinked in surprise, "You know it's Nako?"

"You have a certain look when Nako texts you." Chaewon's tone is light and airy and Hitomi swore she could hear some teasing. She sighed in defeat, "it's nothing—"

"I won't go anywhere, promise."

Chaewon softly reassured and two fingers poked the puffed cheeks. A warm smile played on Chaewon's lips and Hitomi couldn't reject that smile.

"Hii-chan, if you're going to see Nako, could you fetch her and the kids with her for dinner? I'll get Chaewonie to help me." Chaeyeon chimed in, tossing an apron unceremoniously at the other Korean member in the room. "Just don't let Saku-chan know, she'll scold me for letting Chaewonie in the kitchen."

"Unnie!" Chaewon cried out as she stood up to put the apron on and scowled slightly. "I'm not that bad..."

Hitomi wanted to say more but at Chaewon's assurance (and perhaps the constant buzzing from her phone), she thought this was fine. She stood up after, reaching out and smoothed down Chaewon's hair that was a mess from the apron. "Don't try to burn our dorm down, Unnie or else I get your bed!"

Chaewon chuckled, ruffling Hitomi's hair playfully, "Go run off now, I'm scared of what Nako will do to me if I keep distracting you." She left Hitomi alone in the living room and Hitomi picked up her phone.

**Hii: do I have a choice?**  
**Nako: yes**  
**Nako: or**  
**Nako: yes**  
**Hii: ...  
** **Nako: anyway hurry up, im going to convince minjoo to do tzuyus part**

**Author's Note:**

> maybe i should change my name to '01 line trash.. 
> 
> a big thank you to everyone who keeps on reading my things and leaving comments and kudos. i know i don't say a lot but i appreciate it.


End file.
